Fines for expired parking meters to increase on Monday

Waynesboro Police Chief Ray Shultz told the Borough Council Wednesday that the first batch of the new parking tickets are in and officers will start putting them on windshields next week. He was waving a pack of the new yellow tickets as he spoke.

The council heard the news without comment.

In April, the council adopted an ordinance that not only raised the basic fine for an expired parking meter from $2 to $5, but it authorized increases for other parking violations as well.

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Parking meter fines not paid within 72 hours will double to $10. If they are not paid within 10 days, a citation will be issued by the district justice with additional fines and court costs tacked on. An unpaid $5 parking ticket eventually could cost $50 or more.

The new ordinance lessens the pain for some offenses.

Under the old ordinance, vehicle owners were subject to citations issued through the district justice's office for parking within 15 feet of a hydrant, in a fire lane, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, more than 12 inches from the curb and against traffic. Court costs were added to the basic fines.

The new law makes such offenses payable with a flat $15 fee and no court costs if paid on time.

Like a regular parking ticket, they can be paid by putting a check inside the yellow envelope and dropping it into a slot for that purpose at Borough Hall.

The new ordinance also mandates a $50 fine for parking in declared snow emergency areas and $25 for parking in handicapped zones.

It now costs $10 for violating the borough rule against parking in an area posted for no parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. and for parking in an area scheduled for street sweeping.

When they adopted the ordinance, the council members said it would bring Waynesboro more in line with neighboring communities.

The parking meters brought in about $13,000 a year, parking fines another $6,500, Borough Manager Lloyd Hamberger said in April when the ordinance was adopted.